Astros win in Detroit for first time since 2000

May 15, 2013 - 10:17 PM
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Carlos Corporan doubled in the go-ahead run
during the top of the ninth inning to give the Houston Astros a much-needed 7-
5 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a three-game set from
Comerica Park.

Corporan also had a solo home run as part of a 2-for-3 performance, with J.D.
Martinez adding a three-run blast to help the Astros halt a six-game skid and
pick up their first win in seven matchups with Detroit this season.

The triumph was Houston's first at Comerica Park since July 14, 2000.

Hector Ambriz (1-2) recorded the final out of the eighth to notch the win,
with Jose Veras working out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to register his
fifth save of the year.

Avisail Garcia slugged his first major league homer, a three-run shot in the
second inning, for Detroit, while Matt Tuiasosopo finished 3-for-3 with an RBI
single in the setback.

Tigers starter Max Scherzer allowed five runs while striking out seven in a
seven-inning no-decision. Al Alburquerque (0-1) was hung with the loss
after permitting the eventual winning run to reach in the ninth.

Alburquerque walked Martinez on five pitches to begin the final
inning, prompting Tigers manager Jim Leyland to summon Phil Coke out of
the pen. Corporan then drove the lefty's first pitch into the gap in left
center to bring home pinch-runner Brandon Barnes and break a 5-5 tie.

"One [pitch] gets away from me and he gets the barrel on it," said Coke of
Corporan's double. "I tip my cap to him for hitting a mistake pitch."

The Astros got some additional insurance when Trevor Crowe, running for
Corporan, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before crossing the plate on a
Matt Dominguez sac fly.

Veras made it quite interesting during Detroit's final at-bat, however, by
walking a pair of hitters and hitting Torii Hunter with a pitch to fill the
sacks and bring the dangerous Miguel Cabrera to the plate with two out.

"I've been on the other side with him for many of those shots," said Astros
manager Bo Porter, a former coach for part of Cabrera's tenure with the
Florida Marlins. "It's one of those things where you see him walking up there,
you say to yourself, 'Oh boy, this is a tough situation to be in'. But Veras
made a good pitch, Cabrera put a good swing on it and Barnes-ey made an even
better play."

The reigning American League Triple Crown winner launched a pitch deep to
right center, with Barnes making the catch just inches shy of the wall to
enable Houston to prevail.

Scherzer had yielded just one hit -- Corporan's homer in the second -- through
the first three innings, but faltered in the fourth as the Astros overcame a
4-1 deficit.

Jake Elmore started the rally with a leadoff double in front of Carlos Pena's
RBI single and a walk to Chris Carter. That brought up Martinez, who crushed
Scherzer's hanging slider well into the seats to put the Astros on top by a
5-4 count.

Scherzer settled down thereafter, and the Tigers drew even with an unearned
run in the sixth.

With two out, Houston shortstop Marwin Gonzalez booted a grounder off the bat
of Victor Martinez to extend the inning, and Jhonny Peralta and Tuiasosopo
came through with consecutive base hits to tie the game and chase Astros
starter Dallas Keuchel.

Corporan's solo homer in the top of the second gave Houston a 1-0 edge, but
the Tigers answered with a four-run bottom of the frame highlighted by
Garcia's monster shot that cleared the Astros' bullpen in left-center field.

Keuchel had retired the first two hitters of the inning before walking
Peralta. Tuiasosopo and Brayan Pena followed with back-to-back singles to
forge a 1-1 tie and set the stage for Garcia's first big league homer.

Keuchel was charged with five runs -- four earned -- allowed on seven hits
over 5 2/3 innings of work.

Game Notes

Houston had lost in six straight visits to Comerica and had been outscored
50-12 in its six previous meetings with Detroit this season ... Tigers first
baseman Prince Fielder had a string of 24 consecutive games reaching base
safely at home end after going 0-for-4 ... Carlos Pena's RBI single extended
his hit streak to five games ... Elmore ended 2-for-4 in his second game
filling in for regular second baseman Jose Altuve, who was placed on the
bereavement list by Houston on Tuesday.